Tieing or wire twisting tool



Feb. l0, A1970 T. J. HANIGAN -v 3,494,385

TIEING OR WIRE TWISTINGTOOL Filed March 7; 1968 3 sheets-sheet 1 Feb.l0, i970 T. J. HANIGAN TIEING OR WIRE TWISTING TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed March 7, 1968 NVENTOR. THOMS J. HANIGN Bv wmf @au and bAfTORNEYS.

Feb. 10, 1970 T. J. HANIGAN 3,494,385

TIEING OR WIRE TWISTING TOOL Filed March 7. 1968 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. THOMAS J. HANIGAN TTDRMEYS.

United States Patent O 3,494,385 TIEING OR WIRE TWISTING TOOL Thomas J.Hanigan, 215 Mount Holly Drive, Springfield, Mass. 01118 Filed Mar. 7,1968, Ser. No. 711,431 Int. Cl. B21f 15/04 U.S. Cl. IL10- 93.6 1 ClaimABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An automatic tieing or wire twisting tool forfastening structural elements together, such as intersecting pairs ofangularly disposed reinforcing rods, in a latticework common in buildingand road construction, by way of fitting around the rods at eachintersection thereof the midsection of a U-shaped staple andtherefollowing twisting together the legs of the staple at their basalportions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention In the road andbuilding construction art, extended use is made of steel rods forreinforcing concrete construction wherein the rods are usually laid as askeleton structure, normally at right angles to each other, in a networkor quilted pattern or latticework or grid. The rods desirably aresecured together at their intersecting points so that, when a wooden ormetal form is built up around them and concrete is poured thereinto, therods will not sag under the weight of the concrete.

Description of the prior art For the usual sizes of reinforcing rods, itis practice to secure the rods to each other at each intersecting point.To this end, a short length of wire is fitted around both rods, with itsends tightly twisted together to secure the rods in situ.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to perform these wire tying operationsby hand, the ties being applied to the bars by hand and closed withpliers or other like tools wherefore the ties cann-ot be closed withsuicient snugness to grip the bars and hold them rigidly in place. Suchtechnique is disadv-antageous in that it is time consuming and resultsin costly delays and demands skilled labor for the inefficient resultsobtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The tool is for securing together steelreinforcing rods as used in the construction of poured concretebuildings, bridges, roads and the like, but can also be used forsecuring together other sections of Wire fencing, netting, and likereticulated wire fabrics, and it has other securingtogether capacitiesas well, as for example, for binding together wires, ropes and likematerials.

The tool is of the wire-tying type which ejects and twists wire tiesaround a pair of rods, exploiting the principle of translating a pushingfor-ce, generated in one rectilinear direction, into a reverselydirected force. As the apparatus is hand-held by an operator, aforwardly directed force, resulting from the operators own pushingaction, is automatically translated advantageously as arearwardly-directed rectilinear component, generating, concomitantlytherewith, a rotative component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION `OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a view, in side elevation,showing the fully extended or non-operative position of the tool, withcertain parts in section or broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a View, similar to FIG. 1, but showing a partly retractedposition of the tool, the inner housing CII Patented Feb. 10, 1970 ice.

having been moved slightly rearwardly preparatory to the operatingaction;

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. l, but showing a fully retracted toolin the operative, work-engaging, stapleapplying position;

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, but showing the tool partlyextended for obtaining the final twist or twists of the free ends of astaple or tie wire;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view, in end elevation, as viewed from the left ofFIG. l, with the end plate removed, and showing the gear housing;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view, on line 6 6 of FIG. l, showing the gearhousing from the side opposite to that shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view, on line 7-7 of FIG. 2, with the magazine andinner housing end plate removed;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view, in bottom plan, showing the coactionbetween the driver component and a staple or tie wire;

FIG. 9 is a view, in perspective, showing the tool in operativeposition;

FIG. 10 is a lview, in another perspective, similarly showing the toolin operative position, with certain parts broken away for clarity; and

FIG 11 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, showing a pair of crossedrods tied together by a staple.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The main assemblies of the toolcomprise a pair of inner and outer, telescopically-related, hollowhousings 10 and 12 respectively, a power-generating impeller generallyindicated by 14 and extending longitudinally through and having partssuit-ably journalled for rotation within and relative to the inner andouter housings, a magazine 16 which may be detachably secured to theinner housing and being adapted to contain a springbiased quot-a ofpreformed U-shaped tie wires 18 in stacked contiguous non-operatingrelationship, and an anvil assembly generally indicated by 20 anddisposed forwardly of the housings and magazine.

For purposes of orientation, the terms forward will be understood tomean leftward and rearward to mean rightward, as the tool is viewed inmost of the several figures.

Inner and outer housings 10 and 12 are extendable along a common axis,magazine 16 is disposed normal to said common axis substantiallyadjacent the forwardlyfacing end of the inner housing, and anvilassembly 20 is likewise disposed normal to said common axis forwardly ofthe housings and magazine.

Inner housing 10 is defined by spaced opposite side walls 22 and 24interconnected by spaced upper and lower walls 26 and 28 respectively,and closed at its forwardmost end by a forwardly-facing end plate 30which is apertured to allow the in seriatim discharge therethrough ofthe wires 18, as will appear.

The forward end of lower wall 28 is provided with a magazine opening 32adapted to accept the throated upper end of magazine 16 and further toreleasably support said magazine with respect to the inner housing inthe well known firearm lmagazine manner, all so as to provide anentrance means through which tie wires may be fed in seriatim from thetop of the magazine-contained stack thereof and into tie wire advancingposition within the inner housing during operational use.

Outer housing 12 is defined by spaced opposite side walls 34 and 36interconnected by spaced upper and lower walls 38 and 40 respectively,and closed at its rearwardmost end by a rearwardly-facing end plate 42.Each outer housing wall has a bearing relationship with its complementalinner housing Wall to allow the aforementioned telescoping relationshipwhereby the components slide between extended and retracted positions asto each other. Lower wall 40 is preferably provided with finger engagingdepressions 41 to facilitate manual handengagement of the tool.

Power-generating impeller 14 includes a manuallyengageable handle 44mounted upon shank 46.

Shank 46 mounts at its forward end control collar 48 sleeved therearoundand secured thereto, which control collar extends through a suitableopening S in end plate 42 of the outer housing and is suitably fixed tosaid housing.

Thus, handle 44, shank 46, control collar 48 and outer housing 12 willbe observed to be fixed as to each other so that the components may bepushed rectilinearly forwardly and pulled rectilinearly rearwardly bythe operator who may hold the tool by the handle.

Such named components unisonly serve in a train and will shortly be seento deliver movements to various other components of the tool, about tobe described.

A cam 52 is provided and has on its outer periphery an endless camgroove 54 in the form of a pair of opposite intersecting helices merginginto each other at their opposite ends.

Said cam 52 is adapted to be receivable into a camreceiving recess 51extending rearwardly from the forwardly-facing end of shank 46.

Control collar 48 mounts a radially-disposed inwardly extending follower55, which is adapted to engage in groove 54 of cam 52 for the well knownfunction of driving the cam in rotative movement as the handle and shankand control collar and outer housing are unisonly pushed forwardly orpulled rearwardly.

The forwardmost extremity of the cam is secured to the rearwardmostextremity of a coaxially-aligned driving shaft 56 through means of athrust bearing 58 serving the usual shaft supporting function.

A tubular driving shaft sleeve 60 sleeved around driving shaft 56 isconcentrically related to and generally coextensive with said drivingshaft and the two components are extendable through a suitable opening62 in end plate 30 of inner housing 10 and forwardly thereof, being heldin fixed position with respect to said inner housing insofar as anylongitudinal movement relative thereto is concerned.

As handle 44, shank 46, control collar 48 and outer housing 12 arepushed rectilinearly forwardly or pulled rectilinearly rearwardly, arotative movement is imparted to cam 52 and driving shaft 56 throughfollower 55 interiorly of control collar 48 and cam 52 is movedrearwardly into recess 57 in shank 46 or is moved forwardly therefrom,as the case may be.

The forwardmost extremity of sleeve 60 is tightly embraced by an outercollar 64 on the rearwardly-facing face of anvil assembly forsleeve-to-gear housing securement, and the forwardmost extremity ofdriving shaft 56 extends forwardly therebeyond and through alignedbearing support openings in the confronting front and rear gear housingplates 66 and 67 respectively of the anvil assembly.

These confronting gear housing plates define cornmunicating gearrecesses therebetween, which recesses accommodate the gears of a powertransmission -mechanism serving as the means for communicating motionfrom the driving members, cam 52 and driving shaft 56, to a drivencomponent now to appear.

A pinion 68 positioned in one of the gear recesses is splined or keyedto driving shaft 56 and is rotatable therewith.

Pinion 68 is in external driving association with another pinion 70,disposed within the other of the gear recesses and journalled relativeto the gear housing of the anvil assembly as by a shaft 72 to which itis splined or keyed. Shaft 72, at its rearwardly-facing end without thegear housing of the anvil assembly, is fixed to or unitary with an anvilor twisting spindle 74, likewise disposed outside of the gear housing,and is disposed in spaced parallel relationship to the rearwardly-facinggear housing plate 67.

A predetermined gear ratio between pinions 68 and 70 allows any desiredtorque for driving the anvil or twisting spindle 74.

The rearwardly-facing planar face of the anvil is provided with aplurality of forwardly-extending wire receiving openings 76, countersunkas at 78. The openings are disposed in an equispaced arrangement ofplural concentric rings, all so as to provide a multiplicity of pairs ofoperating loci points for making the tool readily adaptable for use witha variety of tie wire sizes.

Linear travel of the housings relative to each other as a force isexerted upon handle 44 is effected by means of pinion and rackassemblies wherein a pair of pinion gears 122, 124 cooperate with andare disposed between parallel, oppositely-facing vertically-aligned,longitudinally-extending upper gear rack and lower gear rack 92.

Upper gear rack 90 may be supported with respect to sleeve 60 and may besuspended with respect to an upper guide 94 fixed to and depending frominner housing upper wall 26; the upper guide is suitably recessed with adownwardly-facing centrally-located slot 96 to accommodate the upperperiphery of sleeve 60 and the upper part of the upper gear rack so thatthe gear rack and sleeve are slideable relative to the upper guide andinner housing.

A blade-like tie wire driver or ejector 98 is fixed relative to lowergear rack 92 and is disposed forwardly thereof so as to be extendable inmanner to overlie the throat of the magazine and the magazine opening ormouth 32 in lower wall 26 and to face anvil 74 with the driver beingsubstantially aligned with the horizontal axis of the anvil.

The forwardly-facing leading edge of the driver is provided with anarcuate groove or recess 104 of suitable dimensions and configuration toreceive therein a complemental arcuate web portion 106 of a tie wire 18,said web portion interconnecting the ends of a pair of forwardlyfacingspaced parallel leg portions 108 thereof having free ends for receptionin a pair of openings 76` in anvil 74.

Lower gear rack 92 slideably disposed upon and relative to lower wall 28of the inner housing and driver 98 is disposed in a rearwardly-facingrecess provided in the forwardmost end of its lower surface.

Magazine 16 incorporates biasing means in the form of a spring 19 whichembraces a follower 21 for urging the tie wires of the stack upwardlyfor in-seriatim-engagement with driver 98, with each tie wire in turnbeing moved in a plane parallel to the magazine throat through which itis driven and above the plane of mouth 32 of the inner housing.

The rearwardmost end of lower gear rack 92 extends into outer housing 12and is provided with an integral downwardly depending flange 110 havinga lower end for bearing relationship upon the inner surface of lowerwall 40 of the outer housing.

The lower planar surface of lower gear rack 92 is slotted or recessed at112, forwardly of flange 110, to accommodate a stop 114 of alongitudinally-disposed slide bar 116 freely extendable through anopening 118 in the flange and threadedly engaged with end plate 42 ofthe outer housing. A nut 120 is threadedly received on the rearward endof the slide bar so as to bear against the rearwardly-facing face of theend plate, wherefore the slide bar is fixed relative to the outerhousing.

Recess 112 allows rectilinear movement of the lower gear rack relativeto the slide bar whereby the rearwardlyfacing face of flange 110 may bebrought into contact with end plate 42.

Gears 122 and 124 mesh with upper and lower gear racks 90 and 92respectively, each being mounted upon and centrally of the respectiveone of a pair of longitudinally-spaced transversely-extending shafts 126and 128 respectively which are journalled at their ends in suitablyaligned openings in, for rotation relative to, side walls 22 and 24 ofthe inner housing.

Shafts 126 and 128 are additionally extendable through suitable openingsin a pair of spaced, vertically-disposed, spacer plates 130 and 132positioned one at each side face of the gears so as each to be disposedbetween said gears and the adjacent side wall of the inner housing.

A pair of vertically-disposed tie wire driver retainer plates 134 and136 (see FIG. 7) extend between driver 98 and upper guide 94 of theinner housing and forwardly of the pair of guide plates 130 and 132, oneon each side of gear racks 90 and 92 and gears 122 and 124, each beingsuitably fixed to a side wall of the inner housing.

The manner of use of the tie gun is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 whereis shown a portion of a latticework of steel rods R, R of the type usedina reenforced concrete structure, and the tool of the invention fortying the rods together.

The tool is adapted to secure the rods together by ejecing wire ties 18so as to straddle the crossed rods and by twisting the free legs of thewire ties together.

The tool is easily held and rendered functional by one hand, theoperator holding same by handle 44 so that it is positioned in ahorizontally or vertically or angularlydisposed position at the point ofintersection of the rods with anvil assembly 20 being disposed at oneside of the rods where anvil 74 is substantially alignedrwith the pointof rod intersection, and housings and 12 being disposed at the oppositeside of the rods.

The driving force is obtained either by the pressure imposed upon theanvil, as when a wall or slab construction is involved, and resultingwhen the anvil is disposed upon the work, or by the pressure imposedupon end plate 30 of the inner housing, as when a free stand meshconstruction is involved, and resulting when the rods contact the endplate.

To wrap a staple around the crossed rods, the operator initiallypositioned the tool so that at least one of the rods is contacting theend plate of the inner housing. He then exerts a forwardly directedlinear force upon the handle, in the direction of arrow a, whichtriggers a first increment of free travel, wherein the outer housingmoves forwardly in the direction of arrow a until the end plate thereofcontacts flange 110 on lower gear rack 92 as shown in FIG. 2.

The gear racks move oppositely so that any force directed in onedirection is transferred to an opposite direction.

As the operator continues to press on the handle in the direction ofarrow a, the end plate of the inner housing continues to bear on thepair of rods so that the inner housing cannot move.

The end plate of the outer housing being in contact with the ange on thelower gear rack, continued forward force on the handle urges the outerhousing forwardly to urge the lower gear rack forwardly therewith insliding manner relative to the inner housing.

During this rectilinear movement of the outer housing and lower gearrack in the direction of arrow a, a rotative movement is set up in theanvil through the rotation of cam 52 as the cam is drawn into controlcollar 48 and recess 51 of shank 46, so as unisonly to move theoppositely moving upper gear rack and the anvil assembly rearwardly inthe direction of arrow b, with the anvil moving toward the crossed rodsand the upper gear rack moving therefrom along the rotating piniongears.

As the lower gear rack moves rectilinearly forwardly, the driver forcesthe uppermost tie wire in the magazine out of the magazine and throughan appropriately-aligned slot in the forwardly-facing end wall of themagazine.

Continued forward movement of the outer housing brings thrust bearing 58into contact with the forward end of control collar 48, whereby furtherforward movement of the inner housing is precluded. By such time, theuppermost tie wire will have been projected outwardly from the innerhousing by the driver so that the free ends of the tie wire have engagedin a suitable pair of openings 76 in anvil 74.

During this movement of the outer housing, cam 52 and driving shaft 56are continuously rotating, with such rotation being transferred to theanvil through the train of spur gears 68 and 70 so that when the freeends of the legs of the tie wire are received in a pair of openings 76,c-ontinued rotation of the anvil will cause the legs of the staple to betwisted about each other, whereby to secure the rods together in thedesired relation.

It is usually desirable to draw the legs up into a tight engagement withthe rods. However, the thrust bearing may have contacted the controlcollar wherefor further retrograde movement of cam 52 in the directionof arrow b is precluded, also as to deny further rotative movement ofthe anvil. Such denial is overcome by exertion of a slight retrogradepulling force in the direction of arrow b upon the handle, which forceis transferred to the outer housing to cause said outer housing to movein the direction of the arrow b until stop 114 of slide bar 116 xed toend plate 42 contacts the forward face of flange 110 on the lower gearrack. During this sequence, the distance between the anvil and theforward face of the end plate on the inner housing was not changed,wherefor the staple driver remains in contact with the web of the tiewire and the ends of the tie wire legs remain embedded in the openingsin the anvil.

As the outer housing is backed off, the control collar is simultaneouslybacked olf relative to cam 52 to the FIG. 4 position.

Further rotation of the anvil may now be obtained by exerting a pushingforce on the handle in the direction of arrow a, whereupon the outerhousing is concomitantly moved in the same direction until the rearwardend of flange contacts end plate 42 and thrust bearing 58 on cam 52contacts collar 48.

In effect, the outer housing may be reciprocated relative to the innerhousing without changing the relative positions of the anvil and driverto effect one or two or more additional twists of the tie wire legsaround the intersecting rods.

When the tie-gun is used with set up slabs or walls, the forward endplate 66 of anvil assembly 20V may be rested upon such slab or wall andthe rods to be tied may be disposed between anvil 74 and end plate 30 ofthe inner housing. A forwardly-directed linear force on the handle will-rnove the outer housing forwardly as before until end plate 42 contactsange 110` on the lower gear rack. But there is no direct rearward forcebeing exerted upon inner housing 10. Such force is indirectly appliedthereto as cam 52 is moved rearwardly so that the upper gear rack ismoved rearwardly concomitently therewith, setting up the rotation of thepinion gears to move the lower gear rack oppositely and forwardly.

This forward movement of the lower gear rack ejects a tie wire forwardlyas before, with the staple being twisted about the rods through rotationof the anvil, such twisting motion also serving to draw the staple outof the inner housing.

To obtain further rotation of the anvil, a slight retrograde pullingforce in the direction of arrow b is exerted on the handle. Such pullingforce on the handle is transferred to the outer housing causing theouter housing to move in the direction of arrow b until stop 114 ofslide rod 116 fixed to end plate 42 of the outer housing contacts theforward face of flange 10 on the lower gear rack, and during thissequence, the distance between the anvil and the forward face of endplate 30 of the inner housing has not changed so that the ends of thetie wire legs remain embedded in the openings in the anvil.

As the outer housing is backet off, control collar 48 is simultaneouslybacked olf relative to carn 52 to the FIG. 4 position.

Rotation of the anvil may now be obtained by exertouter part of thehousing and a pinion gear intering a pushing force on the handle in thedirection of posed between and meshing with the first and second arrowa, whereupon the outer housing is moved in the racks and journalled inthe inner part of the houssame direction luntil the rearward end offlange 110 coning with movement of the outer part of the housing tactsend plate 42 and thrust bearing 58 on cam 52 conin one direction and ofone of the gear racks setting tacts control collar 48. up rotation ofthe pinion gear to -move the other What is claimed is: gear rack in anopposite direction;

1. In a wire tying tool for twisting a U-shaped tie wire (g) a tie wiredriver operatively connected to the outer around a pair of crossedmembers and tying same part of the housing and xed to the second gearrack together, the combination of: 10 for driving tie wires in seriatimoutwardly from the (a) ahousing including telescopically-related innerand magazine and transversely of the stick and into outer parts, saidouter part having nger-engaging anvil-contacting position with the legsof the tie recesses therein; wire being disposed in a pair of theopenings of the (b) a tie wire magazine mounted with respect to theanvil and on opposite sides of the crossed members inner part of thehousing and containing a springwhereby as the anvil is rotated andmotivated biased stack of tie wire; rectilinearly, the legs of the tiewire are twisted (c) an anvil operatively connected to the housing andaround the crossed members, and

having a plurality of pairs of tie wire receiving open- (h) tighteningmeans integral with the outer part of ings therein; the housing'carryingthe driver and permitting re- (d) a cam and an integral coaxiallyaligned driving ciprocating movement of the driver while the anvil shaftdisposed within the housing and being operaand the inner part of thehousing remain in the same tively connected to the anvil; relativepositions.

(e) a hand grip operatively connected to the cam for imparting rotativeand rectilinear movements there- References Cited to; UNITED STATESPATENTS (f) means dlsposed wlthm the housing and coactlng with the camand driving shaft for imparting op- 31169559 2/1965 Workmg 14o-119posite rectilinear movements to the inner part of the 3,388725 6/1968Rlchardson 14o-93 housing with respect to the outer part of the hous-LOWELL A, LARSON, Primary Examiner ing and including a rst gear rackfixed to the cam and slidably connected to the inner part of the hous-U.S. Cl. X.R. ings and a second gear rack slidably connected to the 14C-54, 119

